BACKGROUND:

Medullary thyroid carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor originating in the calcitonin-producing parafollicular thyroid cells. Although it can occur spontaneously, familial association is rarely exceptional. Although survival in early stages is considerable, the possibility of metastasis at the time of diagnosis is frequent.

CLINICAL CASE:

72-year-old patient with a lump in the anterior neck region and left cervical adenopathy of 15 days of evolution. CT, ultrasound, and biopsy reported: bilateral poorly differentiated ovarian carcinoma. Radical surgery (hysterectomy, double adnexectomy, pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy, omentectomy and appendectomy) was performed and complete cytoreduction was achieved. In the definitive study, metastases of medullary thyroid carcinoma were found in both ovaries, myometrium and peritoneum. Chemotherapy with vandetanib was then started. After 25 cycles of treatment, the patient continued with zoledronic acid and was asymptomatic. One month after the end of the treatment, she began to have comic crises that were treated with quetiapine, with satisfactory response. Subsequently, the patient had a facial cellulitis that was treated with antibiotics and corticosteroids; three weeks later she died due to multiorgan failure.

CONCLUSIONS:

Medullary thyroid carcinoma is a rare site of metastasis that still requires research to establish diagnostic and treatment protocols and to estimate survival.

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